1. Technical Field
Embodiments generally relate to security mechanisms for computer virtualization. More particularly, certain embodiments provide techniques for limiting access to information which is to be used in performing an operation of a virtual machine.
2. Background Art
In conventional computer virtualization schemes, a virtual-machine monitor (VMM) typically runs on a computer and presents to other software the abstraction of one or more virtual machines. Each virtual machine (VM) may run its own “guest operating system” (i.e., an operating system hosted by the VMM). The guest operating system expects to operate as if it were running on a dedicated computer rather than a virtual machine. That is, the guest operating system expects to control various computer operations and have access to hardware resources during these operations.
As integrated circuit (IC) fabrication technologies continue to improve, increasing processing power is being introduced to smaller and more varied types of computer platforms. As a result, increasingly varied and robust types of virtualization are being introduced on these new platforms.
Moreover, as computer networking and other associated technologies continue to improve, increasingly varied and robust types of collaborative computing are also being introduced on such platforms. For example, increasingly sophisticated cloud computing, cluster computing, distributed computing (e.g. grid computing) and other such techniques are being introduced on more powerful servers, desktops, laptops, and even handheld devices such as tablets, smart phones and the like.
Typically, such collaborative computing includes a computer platform making some local resource available over a network for use by a remote computer platform. As the extent and variety of such resource sharing grows on an increasing variety of computer platforms, the variety and potential of associated security risks (e.g. from viruses or other malware) also grows. These increasingly varied and potent risks pose particular challenges when it comes to the goal of assuring that virtualization is implemented securely.